Acid catalyzed reactions such as alkylation usually employs liquid sulfuric acid, hydrogen fluoride, aluminum chloride, and phosphoric acid supported on kieselguhr and sulfonated polystyrene as catalysts, all of which have drawbacks. A stable, solid acid catalyst which is easily separated from the reaction mixture is desirable.
McClure U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,056,578 and 4,022,847 and 4,041,090 refer to conversion processes including alkylation and isomerization, using as a catalyst perfluorinated polymers containing pendant sulfonic acid groups.
Kapura and Gates report in an article "Sulfonated Polymers as Alkylation Catalysts," Industrial Engineering Chemistry Product Research Development, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 62-66(1973), on tests of several sulfonated polymers for activity as alkylation catalysts. The alkylation embodiment of the present invention is based upon the finding that substantially higher selectivities are obtained than reported by Kapura and Gates.
The general oxyalkylation reaction is described and claimed in my copending application, Ser. No. 179,520, filed Aug. 19, 1980.